Starting mechanism for automobiles



Nov. 6, 1923. 1,472,872

c. H. KlNDL STARTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 2, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Nov. 6 1923.

c. H. KINDL STARTING MECHANISM FOR AU TOMOBILES Filed April 2, 1920 2 Sheets-Shet 2 WITNESSES: ,6 W/z ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,472,872 PATENT OFFICE.

CARL H. KINDL, OE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed April 2, 1920. Serial No. 370.878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL H. KINDL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh. in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting Mechanisms for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to starting-mechanisms for automobiles and particularly to starting mechanisms for connecting electric motors to internal-combustion engines.

- One object of my invention is to provide a starting mechanism of the above-indicated character that shall actuate a pinion radially into mesh with an engine gear wheel in a simple and an efiieient manner and that shall produce a retarding effect upon such pinion to maintain it in any desired position relatively to the motor shaft while being moved into engagement with the engine gear wheel.

A second object of my invention is to provide an inertia device for retarding the rotation of a bodily movable driven member without increasing the inertia with respect to movement bodily thereof. V 7 It is customary, according to modern practice, to start the internal-combustion engine of an automobile by means of an electric motor and to provide means for connecting the motor to the engine before starting it and for automatically disconnecting the motor from the engine after it is in operation.

In many types of such starting mechanisms,

the motor pinion is moved longitudinally along the armature shaft into mesh with the engine gear wheel. However, such method of connecting the starting motor to the internal-combustion engine necessitates the r0- tating of the motor pinion within certain speed limits to efi'ect meshing of the pinion teeth with the teeth of the engine gear wheel. Moreover, the motor, which is operating at a considerable speed before meshing of the pinion with the gear wheel, is subjected to considerable shock by being suddenly stopped upon meshing of the pinion with the gear wheel.

In a starting mechanism constructed in accordance .wlth my invention, the motor pinion 1s so swung lnto engagement wlth the engine gear wheel as not to necessitate operating the pinion at any predetermined speed to prevent so-called clashing ably mounted concentric with the armature,

shaft of the starting motor. The pinion meshes with a second pinion which is fixed to the armature shaft. A third pinion, which is rigidly connected to the first pinion, meshes with a weighted gear wheel which is rotatably mounted, either on the armature shaft or on the frame of the start-v in motor. The weighted gear wheel is ad usted to have such inertia that, when the motor is started, it actuates the first pinion into mesh with the engine gear wheel either without causing substantially any rotation of the pinion or while the pinion is rotating at a predetermined rate. After the engine is started, the engine gear wheel exerts a force to swing the pinion away from such gear wheel. At this time, the weighted gear wheel is rotating and its inertia is not effective to again move the pinion into mesh with the engine gear wheel. A spring is preferably provided for biasing the pinion either toward an operative position or toward an inoperative position. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 'a partial end view of a starting mechanism constructed. in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of a modification of my invention, and Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an electric motor 1, the circuit of which is controlled in any suitable manner, is provided for operating an engine gear wheel 2 which is connected, in any suitable manner, to the internal-combustion engine (not shown) of an automobile. The motor 1 comprises a frame 3 having an end bracket 4 and an armature'5 having a shaft 6 provided with a bearing in the bracket 4. The bracket 4 is provided with a boss 7 which serves as a bearing for a weighted gear wheel 8, and a rojecting portion 9 upon which is mounted a supporting bracket 10. The supporting bracket 10 is provided with a short shaft 11 which rotatably supports an arm 12.

A supporting arm 13, which is rotatably mounted upon the portion 7 of the bracket 4, coacts with the arm 12 to support a shaft 14 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. Two pinions 15 and 16 are mounted upon the shaft 14 and are fastened to it in any suitable manner, as by means of a key 17. The pinion 16 is adapted to mesh with the engine gear wheel 2, in a manner to be set forth hereinafter, when the motor 1 is started.

The weighted gear wheel 8 is annular in form and is provided with a web portion which supports the gear wheelupon the boss '21 The inner periphery of the annular portion is provided with teeth which mesh with the teeth of the pinion 15. A spring member 19 is connected to two pins 20 and 21 which are respectively mounted on the arm 12 and the supporting bracket 10. The spring member 19 serves to bias the arms 12 and 13 and the pinions mounted on the shaft 14 either toward an operative or toward an inoperative position. A screw 22 is attached to, and projects through, the lower portion of the arm 12 into slot 23 which is formed in the shaft 11. The screw 22 serves not only to limit the rotative movement of the arms 12 and 13 but, also, to maintain the arm 12 in position upon the shaft 11.

lit the'parts are in the positions shown in lFigs. 1 and 2, and the motor 1 is energized, the armature and the pinion 18 will start rotating in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 or as viewed from the right in 2. Such rotation of the pinion 18 would freely rotate 1 pinions 15 16 in a clockwise direction if the pinions were unaffected by any outside iuences such as excessive friction or the ierti movin However. b 1

and 16 were locked in any prevent their rotating, it is app the 15 would cause the i and 14 to revolve in a counts .ection about the armature center. .rnuch as it '1 the piiiio 16 a mo /omen:

about the a mature shaft 6 in order to threshing of its teeth with the teeth ot the engine wheel 2, the inertia of the weighted gear 8 is utilized to prevent rotation of the pinions 15 and 16 until the pinion 16 is meshed with the engine gear wheel The inertia oft the gear wheel 6 may be adjusted either to prevent any rotation oi? the pinions 15 and 16 when the latter is beii'ig" moved into mesh with the engine gear wheel 2 or to permit any suitable rate of rotative movement of the pinions in a forward or in a reverse direction. Thus, the inertia of the weighted gear wheel 8 is sufficient to ensure a movement of revolution of the pinions 15 and 16 about the armature 6 of the motor 1 to effect engagement of the pinion 16 with the gear wheel 2. Upon meshing of the pinion 16 with-the engine gear wheel 2, the pinion 18 upon the armature shaft will effect rotation not only of the engine gear wheel 2 to start the engine but also rotation of the weighted gear wheel 8.

When the engine starts under its own power, the speed of the engine gear wheel 2 exceeds the speed of the pinion 16, and the component of force, which formerly maintained engagement between these members, is reversed to automatically return the pinion 16 to its normal position. Thus, the pinions 15 and 16 are swung, concentrically with the armature shaft 6, to their initial positions away from the engine gear wheel 2. inasmuch as the weighted gear wheel 8 is rotating at the timethe pinion and the engine gear wheel are demeshed, it is apparent that the inertia of such weighted gear wheel is ineffective to again efi'ect meshing of the pinion 16 with the gear wheel 2. Engagement cannot again be effected between the pinion 16 and the engine gear wheel 2 until the motor armature again accelerates the system.

Referring to Figs. 3 and a motor 30, comprising an armature 31, a shaft 32 and came 33, is provided for rotating an enne gear wheel 34 to start engine (not shown). The frame 33 oi the motor is provided with extended po ion 35 which serves not o, y as a bear ure shaft 2 hut, also, as a l i 36 purpose to pinion 31" is r e shaft 32, tatably moume member 36 comprises .ieig i 39, which may be varied in ac ibl'l the opera ive position desired short sh s 12, 13 and The pinions are rigidly connect v together table manner. The e to be actuated into I gine gear wheel meshes with the pinion .1, d to the armature shaft 32,

meshes with the test... .16 mber 36.

spring member is connected to two ghted p 156 and 1 which are respective y mounteo. on the shatt 11 and the su 1 r i in bracket 3%). The spring as 725 to bias the pinion 42 either toward or away from engagement with the engine gear wheel 34. A screw 48 projects, through the lower ortion of the arm 36, into a slot 49 formed in the supporting bracket 35 for limiting the rotative movement .of the arm 36 and, also, for maintaining the arm 36 in position on the bracket 35.

If the weighted member 38 is stationary, when the motor 30 is energized, the pinions 42, '43 and 44 will be revented from rotating in accordance with the speed of the pinion 37 by reason of the inertia of the member 38. Consequently, the arm 36 will rotate about the axis of the motor shaft to swing the pinion 42 into mesh with the engine gear Wheel 34. The further operation of this modification is similar to the starting mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Modifications in the mechanism and arrangement and location of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine gear wheel, a motor, and a pinion revolubly mounted concentric with, and geared to, the shaft of said motor, of rotatable means for retarding the rotation of said pinion to actuate it into engagement with the engine gear wheel when the motor is started, said pinion being revoluble independently of said retarding means.

2. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine gear wheel, a motor, and a pinion geared to said motor with its axis eccentric to the motor shaft, of means for revolubly supporting said pinion for movement about the axis of the motor shaft and an inertia device rotatable with said pinion whereby said pinion is actuated into mesh with the engine gear wheel when the motor is started, said pinion being bodily movable relatively to said inertia device.

3. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor and an engine gear wheel, of a pinion operatively connected to said motor, and an inertia device for actuating said pinion transversely. of its axis into en gagement with the engine gear wheel when said motor is operated, said inion being bodily movable relatively to said inertia device. 4. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine gear wheel, a motor, and

. a pinion operatively connected to said motor,

an inertia device for swinging said pinion concentric with the armature shaft into engagement with said engine gear wheel, said pinion being bodily movable relatively to said inertia device.

5. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an. engine gear whel, a motor, and a pinion revolubly mounted concentric and revolubly supported concentric with with, and geared to, the shaft of said'motor, of means for utilizing inertia to prevent rotation of said pinion without increasing the inertia of movement bodily thereof when the motor is operated to swing the pinion into mesh with the engine gear wheel.

6. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine ar wheel, a motor, and a pinion geared to, and revolubly mounted concentric with, the armature shaft of said' motor, of means comprising a gear wheel connected to said pinion for retarding its rotation to actuate it into mesh with the engine gear wheel when the motor is started, said pinion being bodily movable 8. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor, a pinion connected to the sh aft of the motor armature, a second pinion meshing with said first pinion and revolubly supported. concentric with the armature shaft, and a third pinion rigidly connected to said second pinion, of an annular member having teeth on its inner periphery, said teeth meshing with the teeth on said second pinion, and an engine gear wheel meshing with the teeth on said third pinion when the pinion is moved radially by the operation of the motor.

9. In a starting mechanism, the combina tion with a motor having a pinion geared to,

the armature shaft of said motor, and ari .engine gear wheel, of an annular member rotatably mounted concentric with the shaft of said motor, and means for connecting said pinion to the annular member to move the pinion into mesh with the engine gear wheel when the motor is started and for disengaging the pinion from the gear wheel when the engine is started.

10. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor having a pinion geared to, and revolubly supported concentric with, the armature shaft, and an engine gear wheel, of an idler gear wheel mounted concentric with the armature shaft, and means for connecting said pinion to the idler gear wheel to-force the pinion into mesh with the engine gear wheel upon starting of the motor.

11. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine gear wheel, a motor,

and a pinion operatively connected to the armature shaft of the motor, of means for pivotally supporting said pinion, an inertia device operatively connected to said pinion, said pinion bein bodily. movable relatively to said inertia evice for swinging it into engagement with the engine gear Wheel when the motor is started, said engine gear wheel when in rotation serving to throw the inion out of mesh, and a spring member for Eiasing the position of the pinion.

12. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine gear wheel, a motor, and a pinion geared to, and revolubly mounted concentric with, the armature shaft of the motor, of means comprisin a weighted gear wheel, rotatably mounte concentric with the armature shaft and geared to said pinion for producing a retarding effect to actuate the pinion into mesh with the engine gear wheel when the motor is started, the inertia of said weighted gear wheel being adjusted to produce any desired condition of the pinion when it is meshing with the engine gear wheel.

13. In a starting mechanism, the combina- 1 ,a'raara tion with a motor and a pinion operatively connected thereto and arranged to be moved bodily transversely to said motor, of an inertia device for retarding the rotation of said pinion to effect its movement bodily without increasing the inertia of said movement of said pinion.

14. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor, and a pinion operatively connected thereto and arranged for movement bodily circumferentially relatively to said motor, of an inertia device for retarding the rotation of said pinion to effect its movement bodily without increasing the inertia of said movement.

15. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a motor and a pinion operatively connected thereto, of an inertia device operatively connected to said pinion for retarding its rotation, whereby said pinion is actuated circumferentially relatively to said motor and to said device upon the starting of said motor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of March 1920.

CARL H. KINDL 

